1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to keyboards for use with video display terminals and specifically to a keyboard having apparatus for receiving, storing and retrieving data related to the state or operation of the keyboard light emitting diodes and bell tone generators.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Keyboards for use with video display terminals typically have one or more indicators, usually light emitting diodes (LED's), which indicate terminal status to the user. Some newer keyboards, especially those designed for use with graphics terminals, have a comparatively large number of LED's.
In the prior art, each keyboard LED typically was activated by a dedicated wire from the terminal or keyboard electronics. As the number of LED's increases, however, the number of required wires, latches and the amount of printed circuit board etching required to support the LED's begins to become a significant consideration in keyboard design. The present invention relates to a novel circuit and method for resolving these and other prior art problems.